it will take more to grab karlsson

Dude not even close for Karlsson? Hawks don't have the pieces to get a quality D man like Erik Karlsson, And Tampa is winning the cup next summer.

I agree. It'll take more. Trying to avoid paying with the younger, faster guys the Blackhawks will need to keep to stay in contention this season. They should be all in for Karlsson because he would make them instant contenders again. I'll revise it to add Highmore (leading scorer for the AHL Rockford Icehogs) and another 1st round pick.

I don't disagree. It'll take more. I've added another first rounder and Highmore from the AHL. I'm sure the Sens would be asking for Schmaltz and/or DeBrincat to be a part of the deal but the Hawks will need those guys playing on ELC if they want to compete this season and next season and stay under the cap. Karlsson is really just an extended rental as there's no way the Blackhawks could resign him at the expected $12m a season he'll get without trading Toews or Kane.

are pissed you even offered.

Karlsson is a pipe dream, I think everyone knows that. He's their best player, one of if not the best D in the NHL. It'd take 2 or 3 players that hurts Blackhawks fans to think about trading (Schmaltz, Debrincat, etc.) plus picks in order to get him. In every trade, the other GM sooner or later has to answer to the owner and the fans. Two middle pair D, a 3rd liner who can fake it on the 1st line at times (Panik), and a not great prospect is not a great answer. Think about the Bickell trade with Carolina a few years ago. It stung a little to give up Teuvo, but the Blackhawks needed to trade the Bickell contract. The value in the trade for Carolina was the part that hurt, Teuvo.

Now, would the Senators be interested in trading Duchene, and resetting the team/season? I don't know, but I could see that way more easily done than trading Karlsson.

Idk what people expect Karlsson to be traded for but almost no team is going to throw elite players at Ottowa for a rental. That just not how it works with rentals. Now if a team had the means to resign him next year and also thought they could win the cup this year a big trade may happen where Ottowa gets an elite player in return. But there are almost no teams in that situation.

If Ottowa expects to get more than a middle 6 guy, a 2nd pairing defenseman, a 3rd pairing defenseman, a B+ prospect, and THREE first rounders they are absolutely delusional.

That's my feeling too. The teams that could trade for Karlsson as a rental for this season and next season, before he commands $12m a season, aren't going to give up their best current roster talent to do it or they're going to miss their Cup chances for the next two playoff seasons. However, I could see throwing 3 first round picks and enough secondary talent and minor league prospects at the Sens to make up the salary cap hit for Karlsson. The Hawks need Schmaltz and DeBrincat for a Cup run. A team that wants to trade for Karlsson to resign him long term definitely would give up current roster high end talent but, if you're doing that, why would the Sens trade Karlsson in the first place? He's the best defenseman in the league. You don't trade the thing that every team covets and few teams get, a true number 1 Norris Trophy winning dman, for other other current NHL stars, you only do it with an eye for the future.

If I'm the Sens owner and I'm not planning to resign Karlsson long term at $12m a season, I'd do a full tear down and rebuild of the team at this stage. Find a downtown location for your new stadium and start building it on your own dime. Tear down your team and get a ton of picks and prospects in return, get low in the standings and high in the draft for several seasons, and retool for a youth movement so the new team could be ready to compete for a Cup in 4 or 5 years in your new stadium.